


The one with the panic attack

by porrayra



Series: t.h.i.a.m. bits [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anxiety, Cute Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Cute Theo Raeken, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Good Theo Raeken, Hurt Liam Dunbar, Hurt/Comfort, Liam Dunbar Needs a Hug, Liam Dunbar is a Softie, M/M, One Shot Collection, Panic Attacks, Pre-Relationship, Sappy, Theo Raeken is Liam Dunbar's Anchor, Theo Raeken is a Softie, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:35:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24663952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porrayra/pseuds/porrayra
Summary: Liam gets a text that brings back his insecurities, triggering a panic attack. Theo tries to help the best he can.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Series: t.h.i.a.m. bits [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775599
Comments: 8
Kudos: 112





	The one with the panic attack

**Author's Note:**

> So, this chapter got a little longer and denser than I intended, but I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> TW: Anxiety and panic attack.

"Theo, sweetie," Jenna said, poking her head into the boy's room. "I'm heading early with David. My car key is on the kitchen counter." 

Theo got back to school after a few weeks living with the Geyers, and since his truck looked like a block of swiss cheese, Jenna was lending him her car.

"Thanks, Jen!" He said, grooming his hair in front of the mirror. "You can go. I'll make sure Liam is awake."

The Geyers left the house, and Theo rushed to get his homework into his backpack before he could forget it. "Liam! We're going to be late. Again!" He shouted and waited for a response that didn't come. Focusing his hearing, he caught something unusual, a muffled, repetitive sound. "Is that sobs? Are you ok?"

Nothing came back in response. Theo ended up at Liam's door, banging and asking if everything was alright. The only thing he could hear was the sobbing getting louder.

He entered and found the boy sitting on the floor, crying his eyes out, hands covered on his own blood. "I can't..." Liam repeated this statement between short breaths as if it was the only thing echoing on his brain. "I can't..."

Theo twisted on his feet, not sure of what to do. The air was thick and full of emotions, mostly fear. He recognized a panic attack. "What's happening? What is that you can't?" His voice sounded wrong as if he was more impatient than preoccupied.

"I can't do it." Liam looked at him with lost eyes flashing yellow. "I can't do anything." The voice was breaking at every word like it's crawling its way out of his chest.

The copious crying didn't stop. "Hey, Liam. Look at me, focus at my voice, ok?" Theo said, finally getting closer to the werewolf. "Calm down and tell me what happened. Is someone in danger?"

Liam's brain was cloudy, unable to form a decent explanation, so he tossed his phone to Theo. His heart was pounding, his breath short and unstable, the air barely making to his lungs in time before being expelled again. He felt like he was about to die at any minute now. 

Theo got the cellphone and read a message from Scott. 

" _Liam, we got a track on the hunters, there's a group near Beacon Hills, Derek is going back in a week until then stay safe._ " 

"Shit." Theo was still looking at the phone. "You got this, ok? We dealt with that before. Everything will be just fine."

It took a while for Liam to control his breath enough to say something. "I can't do it. I'm not strong enough."

"Yes, you are. You've done it before. You can do it again."

"I can't do it now. I'll fail as I'm failing everything else in my life. How can you be so confident all the time?"

"Well, not everybody can be this good, Dunbar." Theo joked. He had his fair share of panic attacks to know that what Liam said wasn't true. He tried again, serious this time. "The truth is that I'm terrified most of the time. I'm scared to fall asleep, to stay alone in the car. I live in constant fear since-" _you brought me back_. The words remained unspoken. Liam doesn't need to know that.

"If it wasn't for you at the hospital-" A sob cut Liam's sentence, and Theo took the chance to stop the spiral.

"I'm here to kick some hunter's asses with you whenever you need me to. Okay? I'm here with you. Don't listen to your thoughts."

Liam felt like his head was about to explode. He tilted it back, leaning it against the wall. His claws retracted, getting off of his bloody palms. "I'm afraid I'll die and that my parents will never know why."

Theo's hands found the boy's shoulders. "You should tell them what you are. They've been worried sick about you. I can't believe they really think you're on drugs." He tried joking again. "I mean, look at you."

The comment made Liam laugh between tears. "I don't know if I can tell them."

Theo was nervous, knowing that this could bring his history into the light. "I'll be there for you, ok? Now you need to calm down, or you'll end up drowning.”

Another wet laugh came out of Liam's lips as he wiped his face. "I'm sorry for all of that." His heart rate was still high, his head was pounding and nausea twisted his stomach, but he wasn't afraid anymore.

"Don't worry about it," Theo said calmly, getting on his feet to leave.

"Theo..."

"Yes?" He asked turning around to face Liam again.

"Can we skip school today?"

Theo's laugh was light. "I'm not telling your mom if you don't."

Liam continued with his shaky voice. "And thank you for being here.”

"Well, I kinda live here now," Theo smirked and Liam stared at him dead in the eyes. "But sure. Anytime, baby wolf."

Liam was annoyed. "Baby wolf?"

"Yeah," Theo hurried out of the room and shouted from the hallway giggling. "Because you cry like one."

Liam felt soft. Life seemed a bit more manageable now knowing that, even in times of war, good things could happen. This new and strange friendship was proof of that.

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter was a bitch to write because I wanted to make it perfect for my boys. Not sure I mastered it, though, but I was pretty happy with the turn it took.  
> Also, thank you for your kind comments and ideas! They made my day! 💕🤧


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